SHIRDI SAI PARTHI SAI
PART - 34
(Continued from the previous issue)

ACT X - SCENE 1

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ACT X

SCENE 1

At the time Sathya went to the Pushpagiri Carnival, He had not yet declared to the world that He was an Incarnation of God, that He was a Poorna Avatar. That would come later, in October, 1940. But already, He was proclaiming His Message – Love, Compassion, Sacrifice and Selfless Service. He had no money, yet He went. In the process, He faced many difficulties. He showed by His own personal example, even at an early age, that if one wants to serve, then one must be prepared to face any number of difficulties. For example, with twelve annas, He had to sustain Himself for ten days. Food was no doubt inexpensive those days; still twelve annas was too small an amount for ten days. He ate only once a day, quietly, without letting anyone know when He ate and what He ate. When friends asked Sathya to join them for food, He would say, “I have already eaten.” If they refused to believe, He would hold out His hand, and they would get the smell of food! He would have just drunk water but yet, the hand would carry the smell of food! That was His miracle, performed out of love for the boys; Sathya did not want them to feel pain on His accoun.

The scene is the Carnival. Sathya is talking to one of His friends.

 

BOY: Raju, are You eating every day?

SATHYA: Am I not buying and eating dosas everyday?

ANOTHER BOY: Raju, why don’t You eat with all of us?

SATHYA: Today, I have finished My meal.

THIRD BOY: Raju, You are not making it up, are You? Did You really have food today?

SATHYA: I really have eaten. If you want, you can smell My hand.

BOY: Yes, there is the smell of food.

ANOTHER BOY: Yes, it’s true.

THIRD BOY: Yes, there is a smell.

FOURTH BOY: It is true, there is the aroma of food.

Carnival scenes. There is a small girl who is lost, and is crying. The scouts go to her to help.

 

SCOUT: Don’t cry, dear! …….What’s your name?

SECOND SCOUT: With whom did you come?

ANOTHER SCOUT: Tell me, dear.

FIRST SCOUT: Did your mother come with you?

SCOUT: Who came with you? Tell us, won’t you? …….. Don’t cry!

 

Meanwhile, a boy picks the pocket of a man, and the scouts nab the thief.

 

SCOUT: Hey, a pickpocket! Catch him! …. Come to the Police Station!

In between, the mother of the lost girl is located and the girl is restored to the lady.

SCOUT: [to lady] Please take proper care of your child, and don’t lose her like this again!

LADY: Thank you, my son; I will not lose her again!

 

Days pass and the Scouts continue to do a good job. They render a variety of services.  Slowly, the time to leave draws closer. At that time, the Scout Master calls the boys and talks to them.

 

MASTER: Students, you have all done hard work and good service during the past ten days. Good. You have earned a very good name for our School. Very good! Now, we shall return to Kamalapuram. I am giving all of you one hour in case you want to buy anything. At the end of that period, we shall all meet here again at this tent. Understand?

CHORUS: Yes sir!

Sathya is now with His friends.

 

SATHYA: Ten days have gone by like ten minutes!

RAMESH: If You had not been here, it would not have been so nice!

BOY: Raju, we must hurry! Let us go and make purchases. Come on.

The boys now disperse to do last minute shopping. Sathya goes to a lady who is selling things that ladies normally buy. He purchases a few items from her, using the small change left over from the twelve annas He started with.

 

He is purchasing the gifts to present to His sister-in-law [Seshama Raju’s wife]. Raju’s friend who is with Him does not know this; he is curious and asks.

BOY: Raju, for whom are You buying these flowers, fruits, turmeric, and vermilion?

SATHYA: For My sister-in-law, who is soon to become a mother. These are auspicious gifts.

BOY: Is that so?

SATHYA: [to lady] Mother, pack it quick please!

LADY: Will do. Here it is my boy! …… He is so adorable!

 

SCENE 2

Sathya returns to His brother’s house in Kamalapuram after an absence of ten days. His elders there had no idea where Sathya had gone. Seshama Raju is furious, and so is his mother-in-law. But Suseela, the sister-in-law, is more understanding.

SESHAMA RAJU: Like a vagabond, You have been roaming for ten days without the elementary sense to take the permission of the elders, Your brother, and Your sister-in-law!

SATHYA: Brother, friends and Master compelled Me. I went because I don’t like to say no and refuse those who seek Me.

SESHAMA RAJU: May be, but even then, don’t You think You have to take our permission?

SATHYA: I went to the Carnival just for doing service.

SESHAMA RAJU: Oh yes! A great lot of service!! Don’t You know that Your sister-in-law here is in the family way? Poor thing, all by herself, she had to struggle to fetch water. Service must first be in the home, and then only outside.

MRS. RAJU: Let go! Poor child, He has worked hard for ten days.

SATHYA: Sister-in-law, look, I have brought for you this flower, fruits and various other items.

S-I-L: Why all these things?

SATHYA: I don’t know, I just felt buying these things, and that’s why I bought them.

Sathya tries to offer what He has brought, but they are snatched away by the mother-in-law.

M-I-L: Stop acting as if you have done something great or have brought silk sarees.  There’s not a drop of water in the house to drink, and the throats are all dry. Here, take this and go and fetch water.

Throws a couple of pots before Sathya, for Him to go and get water.

SATHYA: As you say.

Pleased with her action, the mother-in-law now takes the bananas brought by Sathya and starts eating them.

M-I-L: My, these bananas are good!

SCENE 3

Drinking water was an acute problem in Kamalapuram. Everyone had to fetch water from a well that was quite some distance away. This well alone provided potable water. Everyday, Sathya had to bring water from this well. The task was hard, and He was but a small boy; yet, He had to do the job.

One might wonder: “Sathya was God incarnate. He performed miracles. Why does God have to undergo suffering and punishment? Even if His elders gave Sathya tough tasks, could He not have used His miraculous powers to get water?” Bhagavan Baba has answered all such questions. He says that when God comes down as man, He will undergo suffering in order to show how man ought to face difficulties. In this case, Sathya never complained. He bore all inflictions cheerfully; and He never spoke ill of those who treated Him cruelly. In later years, Swami declared that people who treated Him badly were destined to do so as a part of His Divine Drama. He wanted to show humanity the meaning of forbearance; how else could He demonstrate it?

This scene opens with people drawing water from the well. Sathya comes there with His two big pots. Some are surprised; some pity Sathya.

LADY: Boy!

SATHYA: Yes mother?

LADY: Can you draw water in such a big vessel?

ANOTHER LADY: Aunty! Do you see? This small boy is drawing and carrying water for his house. If I ask my husband to do the same, he complains about shoulder pain!

FIRST LADY: If you feel so sorry for the boy, then why don’t you help him?

SECOND LADY: Aunty, I wish I could but I am pregnant.

FIRST LADY: Oh I see.

THIRD LADY: There is the job of cooking waiting for me! I have to run home and do all those jobs!

FIRST LADY: That’s the way it is, my dear! There is always so much work and so much rush! I still have to draw two more pots of water. You go now.

Sathya returns home with the water. It was not just bringing water from afar; Sathya had to do a lot of household chores as well. He did all these cheerfully. At the same time, He did not allow these to affect His studies. He was demonstrating to the world that the human body is given just for service. In later years, Baba has repeatedly emphasised the importance of service.

SCENE 4

Sathya returns to Puttaparthi for vacation. His mother is giving Him an oil bath in the backyard near the well in the house.

V.RAJU [to Easwaramma]: Smear oil well and massage the body; it will do a lot of good. Also, put a few drops of oil in the ear; it will clean them.

EASWARAMMA: Will do, will do!

Easwaramma sees bruises on Sathya’s shoulder.

EASWARAMMA: Oh my goodness! Sathyam, what’s this? The shoulder is swollen and seems bruised! Don’t You feel pain?

SATHYA: When one carries water in pots suspended from a bamboo pole with slings, does it not cause swelling?

EASWARAMMA: You?! You carried water in a sling? What for, my dear?

SATHYA: Mother, there is acute water shortage in Kamalapuram, and one has to fetch water this way from long distances. Brother Seshama did not have time for this, and so I used to do the job.

EASWARAMMA: Seshama saw all this?! Didn’t he stop you?

SATHYA: Haven’t I already told you that he didn’t have time?

EASWARAMMA: Hmm. ….They made You carry water just because You were available!

SATHYA: Mother, what’s wrong with that? All the five elements are forms of God, and one of these elements is water. So I went to God, received the water of the sacred Ganges, filled the pots, and brought them home.

EASWARAMMA: Sathyam, what kind of a story is this?! Didn’t Your shoulder hurt while You were carrying water? I never thought that Seshama would do such a thing!

SATHYA: Mother, I fetched water not only for Seshama’s house but for all the people in our street.

EASWARAMMA: Great! You and Your crazy actions!!

SATHYA: You are talking just like the others! No one can understand Me.

EASWARAMMA: Okay, my son, okay. …..[to daughter] Give me that……[to Sathya] Next time You go to Your brother’s house, don’t carry water like that. I can’t bear You suffering. ……[to daughter] Bring that water……[to Sathya] Tell Your brother gently, “I am sorry, I cannot carry water anymore.”

(To be continued)

- Heart2Heart Team